Saturday, 23 July 2011

21st Century Hampshire Top Twenties: 2006/2007

If you go down to the woods today...you might meet Van Broccoli, Bashley's biggest fan.

2006/07, the season that Rio Ferdinand scored the best own-goal ever at Fratton Park; the season that Pompey missed out on a place in Europe by one disallowed goal in the final match (thanks for incorrectly overruling your lino, Graham "Three Yellow Cards" Poll). Saints lost in the play-offs to Derby County. Bashley broke all previous records for this century in winning the Southern League South & West title (100+ goals and points - only Dorchester Town had scored more in any season since 2000) - their nearest rivals were Fleet Town, and they were a country mile behind in second. Gosport Borough won the Wessex League title and promotion to the Southern League.

And I nearly forgot! AFC Totton reached the FA Vase final at Wembley, where they lost to Truro City in front of a record Vase crowd of 27,000+. I was at the home semi-final leg against Billingham Synthonia, where it looked as though they'd blown their chances with a 2-1 defeat, but they came back to win in the north-east.

On the downside, this was the season that Glen Johnson stole a toilet seat from B&Q; Lymington & New Milton gave up their co-habitation experiment due to local indifference and voluntarily dropped back into the Wessex at season's end, changing their name to New Milton Town on the way; and Farnborough Town were liquidated - they reappeared the following season as plain old Farnborough FC.

Van Broccoli memorising non-league football statistics, in case the subject ever comes up on Mastermind.